Roller-skate.



A. R. LUCASI ROL'LER SKATE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. |911.

1,261,568. Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

A 2 SHEETS-sneer 1. Fig. 1

' /NVENTaq Facil/srs 67E/ve vens A. R. LUCAS.

` ROLLER SKATE. APPLICATION meu SEPT. 28. |911.

1,261,568.. Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-sum 2.4

AUGUSTE REN LUCAS, er. reels, .FRANCE- RoLLnRsKArE.

meines.

Specificationy of Letters 4Patent.

.Patented 19.1.8.

.Application filed September 28, 1917. Serial No. 193,740.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE REN LUCAS, a citizenv of the ARepublic of France, and a resident of 64Rue Ampre, Paris, France, have invented new andv useful Improvements in or Relating to Roller-Skates, of which' the following is a specification.

This linvention relates to improvements in roller skates, consisting of two roller skates connected together so as to follow paths determined beforehand, combined with a steering device, Vthe said roller skates comprising free' wheels preventing them from moving backward, so as to offer a point of support on the ground in order to impart to them an impulse for the forward movement.

I The accompanying drawing shows by way of.' example -a construction according to the invention in which two skates can move only ina longitudinal parallel direction.

'Figures "1f andl2 are respectivelyl a side elevation and aplan of a iirst construction;

Figs. 3 and 4L are, on an enlarged scale, respectively a side elevation and a bottom view of a roller skate according to the said iirst construction.

@Figs 5 and 6 show two modiiied constructions of the roller skate in side elevation.

Figs. 7 and 8 show respectively in side elevation and in end view, partly in section,

a third modified construction.

In the'construction illustrated, two roller skates a can move parallel to each other in the ,longitudinal direction on the longitudinal membersiof a frame b comprising atits rear end a loose bearing wheel b1', movable about a vertical pin, and at its front end a steering wheel b2 mounted on a control part b3. a1 are the rollers of each skate which are guided on the longitudinal members of the frame l) by means of two rollers a2 mounted at each end of the sole plate a8, above the longitudinal member, and a third roller a4 is mounted on the same spindle as the roller a1, under the longitudinal member (see more particularly Figs. 3 and 4). The roller a1 of the skate is keyed to a spindle pivoted in two vertical brackets a5. To the same spindle is keyed a ratchet wheel a with which a pawl a7, mounted on one of the brackets a5, is held in contact by means of a spring as. This free wheel device enables the skate to roll on the ground when the skate is traveling in the direction of the arrow l(Fig. 1), but locks the roller a1 when the skate is brought back on theframe l) by means of the foot. Thus a point of support onthe ground is obtained which makes it possible to give an impulse to the apparatus. In order to use the apparatus, the rider places one foot on each of the two skates a, and holds on to the steering part b3 (the feet may be attached in the usual way to the soleplate by straps). The apparatusv is started by striking out with one of the skates, so as to try to`bring vit backward. Owing to the advance movement of the apparatus, the skate which has been used in order-t0 communicate an impulse, Vremains behind. "It is then only necessary tobring itforward on the longitudinal member of theframe'finorder to use it againV for causing the apparatus to advance. i

' .It has been assumed in the foregoing that each ska-te was'provided with' a` free Wheel device; nevertheless only one Iskate vcan "be provided with a free'wheel, the same'skate being alwaysused. for producing an advance.

In order to make turningpossible, it'is necessary to bring the'two skates'a into one and the same vertical plane; for the purpose of facilitating turning,-more particularlyin curves of a small radius, it is preferable to allow the roller al to roll backward, in order that the skate can take upfits positionfat suitable points, according to the'direction and angle of turning. It is therefore, necessary to disengage at that moment the pawl a7 from the ratchet wheel a keyed to 'the spindle of the roller a1 of the skate, so as to render the saidroller entirely'loose in both directions of rotation. This disengagement of the pawl a7 'is obtained in any' desired manner,` for instance Fig. 5) by means of a rod c guided through the sole-plate a3 of the skate, at the'back, and a little' sidewise of the heel and normally held raised above the tail a9 of the pawl by a spring c1. By pressing the heel on the rod 0, the latter will press on the tail of the pawl a7 and disengage the latter from the ratchet wheel. In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the rod c when pressed by the foot, also acts on a lever 02 pivoted under the sole-plate a3 and normally raised by a spring c3 above a lip am of the pawl, the said lever c2 thus tipping the pawl a7 and disengaging it from the ratchet wheel (Fig. 6).

The device shown in Figs. 7 and 8, also makes it possible to prevent the roller a1 of the skate from rotating in the reverse di? a5 at that side of the drum 0l which is situ` ated in the direction of advance of the apparatus (arrow w). As long as the apparatus advances in this direction, the roller al and the trunnion Z1 remain in the position shown in full lines, but when an effort is exercised on the skate for the purpose of causing the roller a1 to roll backward, the reaction on its spindle :v4- causes a movementof the eccentric Z1 about its axis y-y.

The spindle :c of the roller al and of the drum d has the tendency to move forward and downward (position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 7) the drum CZ rubs against the band d2, and the roller al is braked, so that a point of support is thus obtained on the ground in order to communicate an impulse to the apparatus.

This arrangement has the advantage that for turning, the roller al can rotate backward as long as a sufhcient eort is not exercised on the skate in order to shift the eccentric trunnion d1 in its bearing. Y

Obviously, the invention is not Vlimited to the construction described and illustrated; for instance, in place of a rigid frame may be used a pivoted parallelogram, on two parallel sides of which move the roller skates.

Instead of moving parallel to each other, the two skates a might be forced to follow given curves, for instance curves of a small radius, corresponding to the movement of the feet in walking. It is also possible to use any other free wheel device diering from those described and illustrated.

The apparatus according to this invention may be combined with any vehicles, for instance with a three wheel vehicle; the trailer will constitute in this case the steering part.

I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a device of the general characer described, a frame, a steering wheel connected thereto, a longitudinally displaceable foot support guided by said frame, a bearing rollerassociated with said foot support, and means for holding` said roller against rotation in one direction. f

2. In a device of the general character described, a frame, a steering wheel connected thereto, a longitudinally displaceable foot support guided by said frame, a bearing roller associated with said foot support, and means for holding said rolleragainst rotation in one direction, together with means for rendering said holding 'means temporarilyV inoperative.

3. In a device of the general character de-y scribed, a frame havingy longitudinally extending, side members, a steering wheel jointed to the frame, a foot support freely engaging one of said side members of the frame, a bearing roller associated with said foot support, and means for holding said roller against rotation in one direction.

4. In a device of the general character described, a frame having a pair of longitudinally extending side members spaced apart, a steering wheel pivoted to the frame, a pair of foot supports respectively freely engaging said side members, bearing rollers associated with each of said foot supports, and means for holding the roller of one Yof said foot supports against rotation in one direction.

5. In a device of the character described, a foot support, a roller, a bearing spindle associated therewith, an eccentric on said spindle, a bearing on said'foot support in which Said eccentric is mounted, in combination with a brake device for the wheel operative upon the rotation of said eccentric in its bearing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

AUGUSTE REN Lucas.

Witnesses CHARLES IRnY, ULYSSE DEFERMIONT.

@opten of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

